Whats the difference between the following;

*A Mentalsit
*A Mindreader
*A Psychic
*A Psychological Entertainer
*A Psychological Magician
*A Psychological Illusionist
*A Paranormal Entertainer
*Dr. Zodiac
*A Perceptionist
*A Paranormalist
*A Mind Magician
*An Escapologist
*A Magician
*A Medium
*A 'Reader'
*A Wizzard


I will post my answer (or if you preffer 'punch-line') after a few of you have done the same.

Alex.
(P.S. Please note this is not a comprehensive list.)

None of them meaure up to The McMentalist

Thought Id drag this one back to the top of the pile.......

Whats the difference?.......

Nothing, they are all liars (Sorry Dr.Z, No offence is ment to be caussed.) and most if not all hate that fact that they have to lie to there audience(s) to get any kind of feeling or taste of wonder/amazment/etc.

If you havent noticed, and why should you, Ive been venting my frustrations about 'mentalism' on this bored as of late. So here comes more.....

There is no clearly defined answer to anything. Some say Readings are the way to go, or Billets/No Billets, or Cards/No Cards, others say pretending to be Psychic is the way forward, others say you must ethicly deny such claims and opt for a half truth of Psychological methods and then again there are those who say both are as wrong as each other.

Pretending to talk to the dead seems to extremly fround apon, but I love watching those performers, the good ones. Who hole heartedly belive in what there doing and have personality. Not the short, fat ones with an odd tash who some how got there own TV show.

Places like this are so confusing and infuriating for me because there are so many people, with so many different 'visions' if you will, and many of wich preach there way around as if they have found THE WAY to do it. But its just A WAY, THERE WAY.
They use the techniques taught and avalibale under the term Mentlaism to do what they wish. Some use other skills to, magic techniques, hypnosis, some even use escapology.

It drives me mad, when all that really matters is the PEOPLE (not LAYMEN, not suckers, not any other detached, degrading name you can come up with) who you PERFORM (not entertaain that's a secondery effect, not perssuade to join your cult/belif system) for (not at, not to, FOR!).

DEEP BREATH IN..........and out......in.....and out......in.........and out.

So whats your point?

Good question!
ermmmmm I have issues and Ive got to lay off the coffee!

One little point on the subject is how important it is to use the right term when describing yourself to an audience. Every non-magician that I know who has seen the word mentalist thinks it indicates someone who is mental!

No messing. I have watched (with friends) those programs which include lots of interviews with famous magicians and mentalists. Everytime, my friends will make some smart remark about the mentalist having just escaped from camp crazy.

S

Ahh, Stephen you have just hilited in big PINK pen one of my 'issues'.

IF people where sensable and I knew they wouldnt gigle everytime they herd the word 'Mentalist', I would call myself quite openly to an audience, A Mentalist.

Its especially hard here in the U.K.
Ofcorse Mindreader wont suffice because mindreading is only part of what I do and I feel claiming to be one opens up nasty doors to challenges.
I started a hole thread on my issue and I'm still stuck in a rut.
Im not sure if I keep saying, "theres no real name for what I do"

LOL@ "McMentalist"....AGAIN !!!!!

~Rick~

Man, I love you to psychomagi! I lie. I'm a magican/mentalist and a man, BIG surprise!

LOL Dr.Z, big hugs, big love and big wet sloopy kiss' are being air mailed to you as we speak!

But I do fine it very odd that Mentalism is so often compared to Magic. Its probably more to do with technique than anything else, but I feel this is where the comparason should, in part, end.

Mentalism is a performance based art. A performance art if you will.
So its much more similer to Comedy than it is Magic.
A GOOD comedian will take you in to there world and entertain you with the joys of laughter. Just by showing you there slant on the world, thus taking you in to 'there world', you see things differently, and it makes you lauge for many different reasons, often because the have a qurkie way of looking at things.

The old line, "Its funny because it true" springs to mind, maybe mentalsim is "amazing because its true!", it makes the audience think, 'yes, we do all have that ability to know, kind of what another person is thinking' or 'yes, we as humans can be swayed, perhapes even manipulated to do something, someone else wants us to', 'yes, I guess at some leval, we share the same mind'.

If we MUST compare Mentalism with another Deseptive Art form, or form of Magic Entertainment, then I feel Escapology is much better.
It to is a Performance based Art. The Art of escaping from things you shouldnt be able to. Many presentations are based around 'test conditioned' styled effects, regulation handcuffs, half inch thick rope and then upside sown in a box of water.

It looks imposable, but this one person can do the imposable. He can escape the un-escapable. I remember, Dr.Z, you once said that mentalists should/do present things that MIGHT be real. Theat Might be able to be accomplished. You then ofcorse can take it further and really blow peoples socks off.

We start samll with an opener to get peoples attention, then take it further and explore what we can do, then BAM, a kick in the head.

We do this. Escapologists to this (Escapes from a straght jacket, shows you he can pick-licks and get out of small things like handcuffs, then BAM. Hes dangerling over a water fall!), and to a certen extent, Comedians do this.

Just my thoughts.